2008 Santa Fe Film Festival

Here’s one positive result of our economic downturn: Unike previous years, the 2008 Santa Fe Film Festival is short on sellouts, ensuring plenty of tickets for even last-minute visitors. SFFF executive director Jon Bowman admits, “We’re down a tad. It’s not the same level of attendance [as 2007].” Still, the man who helped found the much-respected festival nine years ago notes the “soft sellouts” mean even those who show up late can get tickets to most of the festival’s 115 different programs starting this Wednesday night, Dec. 3, and running through Sunday, Dec. 7. “If you procrastinated, you can wing it,” says Bowman. “Show up, wait in line and you’ll probably get in.”

Biopic breathes life into counterculture crusader

By Devin D. O’Leary

When it comes to Oscar bait, you can’t go wrong with a biopic: Forest Whitaker in The Last King of Scotland, Joaquin Phoenix in Walk the Line, Philip Seymour Hoffman in Capote, Jamie Foxx in Ray, Adrien Brody in The Pianist, David Strathairn in Good Night, and Good Luck, Leonardo DiCaprio in The Aviator, Johnny Depp in Finding Neverland, Don Cheadle in Hotel Rwanda, Will Smith in Ali, Russell Crowe in A Beautiful Mind, Geoffrey Rush in Quills, Ed Harris in Pollock, Javier Bardem in Before Night Falls. ... And that’s just the Best Actor nominations since 2000.

“Leverage” on TNT

By Devin D. O’Leary

Timothy Hutton? Good to see you again. Where you been keeping yourself, man? Lymelife? Reflections? The Alphabet Killer? The Killing Room? When a Man Falls in the Forest? Never heard of ’em. “Kidnapped”? Oh yeah. I meant to watch that, but they yanked it off the air after five episodes. The Last Mimzy? You don’t wanna bring that up, do you? Off the Black? Falling Objects? Heavens Fall? The Kovak Box? Avenger? Stephanie Daley? Nope, not ringing any bells. Yeah, well, you won an Academy Award for Ordinary People. That was cool.